


Ways to say 'I Love You'

by whitecrossgirl



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, can be platonic and romantic, they love each other as friends and maybe more, whatever comes up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:00:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29878737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitecrossgirl/pseuds/whitecrossgirl
Summary: There are many different ways to say "I Love You" whether you love them in a romantic, platonic or familial way. These are just some of them.1: "Pull over, let me drive for a while."2: "It reminded me of you."3. "No, no, it's my treat."4. "Let me fix it."5. "I'll walk you home."6. "Have a good day at work."
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner & Emily Prentiss, Aaron Hotchner/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 8
Kudos: 43





	1. "Pull over, let me drive for a while."

Aaron stifled a yawn against the back of his hand as he continued down the highway. Darkness had fallen and they were still three hours away from Quantico. Neither of them had said a word since they left the prison, Karl Arnold’s demented laughter still echoed in their ears. There was nothing that could be said. Nothing that could be done. So why bother?

Aaron stifled a second yawn in as many minutes and Emily turned her face from the passenger window where she had been watching the cars in the other lanes speed past, oblivious to the nightmare the two agents found themselves in. she looked at Aaron; she could see the battle raging within him; terror, stubbornness and rage were all fighting against his growing exhaustion. The whole team had watched him struggle for months and they knew that he was almost at his breaking point. 

“Pull over. Let me drive for a while.” Emily said finally.

“I’m fine,” Aaron replied tensely as he kept his eyes on the road. They both knew that if he looked at her, he’d give in.

“You’re exhausted and I’m not dying in a car accident because you’re too stubborn. I’m driving.” Emily said. It was a testament to how exhausted he was that Aaron didn’t argue and instead pulled over. Without a word, they exchanged places and Emily turned back onto the highway. A few minutes later, she glanced over and wasn’t surprised to see that Aaron had fallen asleep. A troubled sleep but probably the first bit of sleep he’d had in a while. She wished there was more she could do to help.

Emily shook her head to shove those thoughts back into the box where they belonged. There was a time and place to delve into those thoughts but this wasn’t it. 


	2. "It reminded me of you."

It was the last thing she expected in the cupboard amongst the other cups. Aside from the plastic, superhero themed cups that obviously belonged to Jack, most of his cups were either basic striped ones from a set of four or ones 'acquired’ across years of working at various Bureau offices. She had some similar ones, Chicago field office, Quantico field office; mugs from various Embassies around the world. As well as an Interpol one she had stolen from Clyde Easter. However none of Aaron's mugs were like this.  Behind Jack’s Batman cup was a pale blue mug with cat prints across the sides of the mug. 

“Garcia?” Emily suggested as she held it out. It seemed like Garcia’s sort of gift, although she had to admit it was cute. Made her think of Sergio. 

“No, I bought it.” Aaron admitted, hiding a smile at the skeptical look on Emily’s face. He was the last person she could imagine buying an adorable cat paw print patterned mug just because he felt like it. “It reminded me of you.”

“Oh,” Emily replied as she glanced down at the mug. Not before she spotted Aaron’s cheeks turn scarlet at what he had admitted. Something told her that he hadn’t meant to let that one slip. Interesting… 

“So does everyone have their own mug?” Emily asked, deciding to take the bull by the horns and see where this would go. 

“No, just you.” Aaron confessed as Emily set the mug down on the counter and reached for the coffee. “I mean, I’ve not got ones for the others yet.”

A classic deflection. Emily smiled wryly as she passed him out of the kitchen. But she wasn’t done just yet. She turned and pecked him on the cheek. “I still think it’s sweet.”

If she noticed that Aaron gently stroked his cheek where she had kissed it, she didn’t say anything. And if Emily made a point of only drinking from that mug at his place, he didn’t say anything. And neither of them said anything about the Superman emblazoned mug that somehow appeared in Emily’s kitchen cabinet. 

After all, it had reminded her of him. 


	3. "No, no, it's my treat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after "The Slave of Duty." Also how kickass is Emily's takedown at the end of that episode, I mean I'm ace but damn...

He wasn’t surprised to see Emily standing on the other side of the doorway holding a bag of food in her hands. Rossi had let him know that they were on their way back and that Emily had been the one to take down the unsub. It had been difficult to pry details about the case from the team, namely because of the victims being women killed in their own homes, but he understood why it was so difficult for them. They shouldn’t have had to go. 

“Come in,” Aaron said as he stepped aside to let her in. “Jack, Emily’s here.”

Jack’s head popped up on the other side of the sofa. He had been watching the home movies again but when he saw it was Emily, he paused it and hurried over, latching onto her side. Ever since Haley’s death, Jack had become attached to Emily and although they knew the rational thing would be to ensure Jack was OK but if it made him feel better, then they would let it carry on.

“I brought Chinese,” Emily explained as she passed Aaron the bag before she picked Jack up to hug him properly. Jack hugged her back as Aaron carried the bag to the table and began to separate out the food. Instead of talking and raising difficult topics in the form of how the case went and how Aaron and Jack were coping following Haley’s death; they focused on the food. There would be time to talk later. Not right now.

“How much do I owe you?” Aaron asked; over the past six months since his attack they had fallen into the habit of having take out at one another’s place. No shop talk. No prying questions. Just take out and a movie. They always paid their share to keep it even. So it wasn't like they were dates or anything. Not at all. Not one little bit. 

“No, no it’s my treat.” Emily replied and held up a finger. “Don’t argue with me. Not tonight.” 

Aaron nodded and quickly passed Jack a tissue to wipe the streak of sauce dripping down his chin. He wouldn’t try to undermine Emily’s offer of food and company tonight. They all needed one another’s company tonight. 


	4. "Let me fix it."

“Damn it,” Emily cursed as she reread the report. The systems were down and they had had to write their reports by hand. It was only now that she had finished the several-page report that she realised the glaringly obvious mistake that she had made. Over and over again. 

In her defence, writing reports after being awake for eighty hours straight and after the UnSub had smacked her in the head with an aluminium baseball bat was probably going to end badly. 

“You OK?” Reid yawned as he shook his hand, trying to relieve the tension in his thumb joint and wrist. 

“Fine, I just made a ton of mistakes on this so I’ll have to start again.” Emily replied as Aaron walked past them and paused at her words. 

“Let me see,” Aaron said and took the reports without asking. He quickly scanned over them and looked up at Emily to see her stifle a yawn. It wouldn’t be too difficult to sort. “Let me fix it.”

“It’s fine, I can do it.” Emily replied as she yawned again. 

“I’ve got it. Go and rest.” Aaron advised as he took the report back up to his office. Through the blinds, he watched Emily gather her things and leave. He turned his attention back to the reports and not the way that her hair brushed across her shoulders and how much he wanted to reach out and stroke it. He shook his head and turned his attention back to his reports. Stupid thoughts. As if she would ever have feelings for him anyway.


	5. "I'll walk you home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set before the ending of Haunted

“I’ll walk you home.” Emily offered as she pulled up at the end of his street. The rest of the street was packed with cars, one of the apartment windows upstairs was draped in birthday banners. The sort of thing that stung more than usual.

“It’s fine, I can manage.” Aaron replied tensely. Internally he hoped that Emily’s stubborn streak would kick in. if he was honest, he wasn’t quite ready to be alone yet.

“I know.” Emily replied as she got out of the car with him. Without looking back, she locked it and walked with him down the street towards his apartment building. Together they walked down the street, hands barely close enough to brush against each other but never quite closing that gap. 

Without a word, they entered the building and walked up to his apartment on the third floor. They both knew the other was checking and double-checking their surroundings, eager to spot the slightest sign of something out of place and alert as Aaron unlocked his door and disabled the alarm. 

“You didn’t have to walk me up, you know.”


	6. "Have a good day at work."

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Aaron asked and got a pillow to the face as a response. He knew he should have left for work about ten minutes ago but he also didn’t care. One, he was the boss and two, he wanted to make sure Emily was fine. Aaron picked the pillow off of the floor and walked to the bed to pass it back to her.

“I’ll be fine. I’ve got everything I need, Jess is picking Jack up from school and if you get called on a case, Garcia’s already offered to look after me.” Emily replied as Aaron’s hand rested over her stomach. “We’re both OK.”

“I know,” Aaron replied. It had been a horrible scare for both of them and the accident had rendered Emily on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. Emily rested her hand over his and they felt the flicker of a foot under their hands. Aaron kissed her forehead as Emily smiled at him.

“Have a good day at work.” Emily teased as Aaron smiled back at her.

“Have a good day on bed rest.” Aaron retorted as Emily hit him with the pillow again. As much as he wanted to spend the day at home with her, there was still work to be done. 


End file.
